REGIONAL INDIC ATIVE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PL AN Target 7: The achievement by all Member States of: • At least 30% women in decision-making positions in local government, parliament, cabinet and senior positions in the public sector by 2005, or affirmative action measures in place to accelerate the attainment of this target; • At least 40% women in decision-making positions 5 9 4.5.2 Overall Goal The overall aim of the intervention in Science and Technology in the region is to develop and strengthen national systems of innovation in order to drive sustained socio-economic development and the rapid achievement of the goals of the SADC Common Agenda including poverty reduction with the ultimate aim of its eradication. in local government, parliament, cabinet and senior positions in the public sector by 2010, or affirmative action measures in place to accelerate 4.5.3 Areas of Focus the attainment of this target; • Strengthening of regional cooperation on S&T; • At least 50% women in decision-making positions • Development and harmonization of S&T policies; in local government, parliament, cabinet and • Intra and inter-regional cooperation in S&T senior positions in the public sector by 2015, or • Research capacity in key areas of S&T affirmative action measures in place to accelerate • Technology development, transfer and diffusion; and • Public understanding of S&T. the attainment of this target; and • At least 20% women in decision making positions in large private sector firms as defined by Member States by 2005, 30% by 2010 and 40% by 2015. 4.5.4 Strategies • Target 8: Eradication and reduction of all forms of an institutional framework for regional cooperation violence against women and children • Reduction by at least 50 percent all acts of violence in S&T; • and abuse of women and children by 2007. Development and harmonisation of policies and strategies and elaboration of programme for regional cooperation in S&T and indigenous knowledge systems; • Eradication of all forms of violence against women and children by 2015. Development of legal instrument and establishment • Development and harmonisation of legislation for protection of intellectual property rights and 4.5 promotion of technology development, transfer and SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY diffusion including indigenous knowledge; • networking on research and technology development 4.5.1 including identification of centres of excellence in the Introduction regions; Science and Technology is a key driver of socio-economic development and the achievements of most of the • various activities including national and regional by scientific and technological solutions. Technological innovation is a key factor in the development and science, engineering and technology campaigns; • competitiveness of the regional economies, which leads Establishment of regional research and technology development programmes, joint research and technology to wealth creation and the improvement of living development programmes between two or more Most of the challenges facing regional integration as identified in the RISDP such as food Institutionalisation of programmes to promote public understanding of science and technology through objectives of the SADC Common Agenda maybe facilitated standards. Encouragement of regional collaboration and Member States and other collaborative arrangements; • Formulation of policies and strategies to encourage security; energy, water, transport, communications public-private partnerships in research and technology infrastructure and human resources development will development, and promote public and private sector require scientific and technological solutions. investment in research and technology development.